Swansea City star Jonathan de Guzman targets rapid cup response

Dutch star Jonathan de Guzman has urged Swansea City to make sure one half of football does not undermine more than one month of momentum.

Dutch star Jonathan de Guzman has urged Swansea City to make sure one half of football does not undermine more than one month of momentum.

And he has called for cool heads when assessing the damage caused by a first defeat in seven games.

Swansea’s unbeaten stretch screeched to a halt thanks to Norwich’s four-goal Liberty showing, a result set in place by a opening 45 minutes well below recent standards set by Michael Laudrup’s men.

They shipped three goals in that dismal first half having not conceded more than one in games since the October draw with Reading and over a spell of fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Arsenal.

The first home defeat since the September loss to Everton is quickly followed by tough Premier League fixtures following Wednesday’s Capital One Cup quarter-final with Middlesbrough, Tottenham away and Manchester United at home providing stern tests of the Swans’ strength.

But de Guzman, who grabbed his third Swansea goal in the defeat when he nabbed the hosts’ second in a vastly improved second half, has insisted Laudrup’s men should not lose any of the belief built-up in recent weeks on the back of one poor half.

“We let ourselves down in that first half; we know Norwich are very effective with their chances and have done very well in the last couple of months,” said the midfielder.

“So it was going to be a difficult game but we let them come out of the blocks faster than us.

“The manager wasn’t happy at half-time but no-one was. We woke each other up, not just the manager but the team as a whole.

“We put into words what we needed to do better and what we needed to change.

“And we did that well in the first part of the second half. We tried to push for it but we didn’t have the luck.

“We’d left ourselves with a bit too much to do, although we did get two goals back and perhaps had to keep our composure a bit more.

“It’s disappointing because we wanted to keep this run going but one half of one game won’t take that belief we’ve built up, especially not in a side that wants to be on the right half of the table.

“It’s important for us to keep our cool and remember how well we’ve done in the last few games and not get carried away because of one disappointing half.

“We need to keep playing with the kind of confidence that got us here – and that we didn't show in the first half – and that will bring us results.”

Meanwhile, Norwich striker Grant Holt praised the Canaries’ achievements in getting a second successive Liberty victory, admitting he hopes there is an underlying respect in the jeers he gets on every visit.

Holt responded to the now standard boos from Swans fans with a goal, but paid credit to the fans he said almost inspired the hosts to a comeback.

And the striker, twice subject of bids from Swansea during his Rochdale days, said: “We all know how hard a place it is to come to get a result.

“It’s a great place to come and play, but there aren’t many teams who will come here and get three points and play like we played in that first half.

“When they got back to 3-2 the fans almost took the roof off.

“It’s not an easy place at which to play and not many get results, but we came with a game plan, stuck to it, started fantastically well and got the goals we needed.

“We had to hold on and you have to be patient when you are playing Swansea.

“We all know what they are going to do.

“They pass the ball and race around and they are very good at it.

“But I love coming here, it’s a great place to play and the fans are fantastic.

“They really get behind their team and when they are attacking you really hear the noise.

“For some reason I am not well liked, but I’ve always done well down here.

“For some reason I have this love-hate relationship with the Swansea fans and long may it continue because they seem to see the best of me down here.

“I am sure that once the game is finished, and I’ve taken all the abuse and stick, they will realise I’ve done a good job.”

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